Collier Child Care Resources, Inc.

About

CCCR operates three child care programs: the NCEF Early Childhood Development Center located at Florida SouthWestern State College and the A Step Up Child Development Centers at Golden Gate and Immokalee High Schools. The A Step Up programs give teen mothers an opportunity to continue their high school education without the concern of how they will afford quality child care. The belief is that the mother's educational accomplishments will have a lasting impact upon her future and that of her child.

CCCR practices the Reggio Emilia philosophy of education, an educational philosophy that was started by Loris Malaguzzi, a teacher himself, and the parents in the villages around the town of Reggio Emilia in Italy after World War II. They felt children form who they are as individuals in the early years of development, a belief that led to the creation of a program based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration, discovery and a self-guided curriculum.

In addition to child care, CCCR offers professional development, on site training, consultation to child care centers and family child care homes. It provides a local resource room and lending library to assist in in curriculum, development, and education to children and family child care homes. Technical assistance and developmentally appropriate materials are available through our Resource Van.

An Early Learning Childhood Conference is held annually for educators, parents and others in the community.

Today, more families than ever need financial help for quality child care services. At our NCEF Early Childhood Development Center at least 75% of the children served receive some form of assistance. Many of the children are from low- income families. To find out more about the programs, make a donation to be used toward tuition assistance, or volunteer, call 239-643-3908 or visit www.collierchildcare.org